Indicative Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship

2017 Applicant Form

Deadline for submission: 16:00 GMT Wednesday 30th November 2016

Indicative Postdoctoral Fellowship 2017 Applicant form

This Word document is provided solely for information purposes. All applicants must create and complete their submission through the online system by the deadline of 16:00 (Irish time) on 30th November 2016. Please see the 2017 Terms and Conditions and Guide for Applicants on the Irish Research Council website for further information prior to submitting your application online. All sections must be completed in full.

Eligibility Quiz

Does your proposed research deal with any of the following prohibited areas?

· Research activity aimed at human cloning for reproductive purposes

· Research activity intended to modify the genetics of human beings that could make such changes heritable (with the exception of research relating to cancer treatment of the gonads, which may be funded)

· Research activities to create human embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer

Yes

No

Have you had two previous unsuccessful applications to the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme (including applications to the EMPOWER Scheme previously run by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and the Government of Ireland Fellowship Scheme previously run by the Irish Council for Humanities and Social Sciences)?

Yes

No

Have you been awarded your doctoral degree within the five-year period

before the 31st March 2017? For the purposes of this condition, the date

of graduation will be taken into account

Yes

No

If you have answered ‘no’ above, have you been certfied as having fulfilled, within the five-year period before the 31st March 2017 all the requirements for the award of a doctoral degree, including a viva/thesis defence where such is required, but have not yet graduated. For the purposes of this condition, the original viva/thesis defence date and not the graduation date will be taken into account.

Yes

No

Applicant Details

Duration of Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship for which you are applying:

1 Year Fellowship

2 Year Fellowship

Application in Irish:

Yes

No

There is the option on the online system at this point to upload an English translation, should you wish to do so, which will accompany your research proposal. If you submit an application form in Irish without submitting your own English translation, the Council will arrange for an English translation of the form. The online system will only accept documents in PDF format.

Title:

Dr.

Mr.

Mrs.

Ms.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email Address:

Contact Telephone Number:

Contact Address:

Gender (this is for internal reporting purposes only and has no impact on the application):

Female

Male

Date of Birth:

ORCID ID:

ORCID ID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. If you do not currently have an ORCID ID, please register for one at www.orcid.org and provide us with your unique 16-digit identifier

What is your nationality, i.e. your passport issuing country?

Are you a national of a European Economic Area (EEA)* member state or Switzerland?

Yes

No

*The EEA comprises the EU member states together with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein

Do you currently hold or have you previously held an Irish Research Council Award (including awards made under IRCSET and IRCHSS)?

Yes

No

If answering yes, please provide further details:

Applicants to the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Scheme must not hold, or have previously held, a Council fellowship.

Mentor Details

All applications require a nominated ‘Academic Mentor in Ireland’ who is willing to mentor you for the proposed research project.

Once you have added and saved your Academic Mentor details to the online system, the Mentor should receive an automatic confirmation email advising him/her that he/she has been nominated. At this point Academic Mentors can login to the system and view the application details.

Applications must be submitted before the Academic Mentor can create and submit their online Mentor reference form.

Mentor Name:

Position:

Institution:

Department:

Telephone No:

Email Address:

Referee Details

You must associate two Referees with your application, neither of whom may be your named Academic Mentor. A suitable Referee is an individual who knows you sufficiently well to provide you with a character reference, e.g. a principal investigator, a mentor from any time in your career or education or a leader or member of a research team where you have worked.

Each Referee will be required to provide an online reference as part of your application. Referees do not have sight of the application itself.

In order for your Referees to be able to access the online system, you MUST ensure that the email address you provide for each Referee is correct. If an incorrect email address is provided for one of your Referees, he/she will be unable to access the system and will therefore, be unable to upload a reference form and the application will be deemed ineligible.

Once you have added and saved Referee details to the online system, the Referee should receive an automatic confirmation email advising him/her that he/she can log into the system and create the reference form from this point onwards. You should check with the Referee as early as possible to ensure that he/she has received such an email and can access the online system.

Referee 1

Referee Name:

Organisation/Institution:

Position:

Email Address:

Referee 2

Referee Name:

Organisation/Institution:

Position:

Email Address:

Research Mobility

Irish Research Council strongly advocates a variety of experience within the postdoctoral phase of career development. To encourage this, applicants with no postdoctoral experience will normally be supported only at a different Host Organisation and with a different Academic Mentor and research team than those with which they completed their Doctoral preparation (applicants applying for one year GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship are exempt from this requirement).

Some circumstances can be foreseen that would allow a researcher to remain in the same host institution or with the same research team but these will require complete justification.

If you are not proposing to move to a new host institution, from the one where you completed your doctoral preparation and/or are currently employed, please provide the rationale for this decision.

[maximum 300 words]

Academic Qualifications

Examination results, qualification names and other information provided in this section must correspond exactly with that on relevant official transcripts. Successful applicants will be required to provide official transcripts/parchments before awards are confirmed. In case of discrepancies between results provided in the application form and those on official transcripts, offers of awards will be withdrawn.

If the language of a transcript/parchment is not English, the name of the degree and overall result if expressed verbally (such as “mention très honorable avec félicitations du jury” or “отлично/otlichno”) must be provided in the language of the transcript/parchment as well as in English. It is not sufficient to provide only English translation/equivalent of the name of the degree or result.

Bachelor’s Degree (or degree equivalent to the Honours Bachelor Degree level 8 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications NFQ, see http://www.nfq-qqi.com/index.html)

Institution:

Country:

Graduation date:

dd/mm/yyyy

Qualification Type & Name:

Final grade or Grade Point Average:

Any additional information relating to this degree can be included here, e.g. dissertation title, area of study:

[maximum 300 words]

Second Bachelor’s Degree (or degree equivalent to the Honours Bachelor Degree level 8 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications NFQ, see http://www.nfq-qqi.com/index.html), if applicable

Institution:

Country:

Graduation date:

dd/mm/yyyy

Qualification Type & Name:

Final grade or Grade Point Average:

Any additional information relating to this degree can be included here, e.g. dissertation title, area of study:

[maximum 300 words]

1.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

5.1

Master’s Degree (or degree equivalent to the Honours Bachelor Degree Level 9 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications NFQ, see http://www.nfq-qqi.com/index.html), if applicable

Type:

Taught

Research

Institution:

Country:

Graduation date:

dd/mm/yyyy

Qualification Type & Name:

Final grade or Grade Point Average:

Any additional information relating to this degree can be included here, e.g. dissertation title, area of study:

[maximum 300 words]

Second Master’s Degree (or degree equivalent to the Honours Bachelor Degree level 9 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications NFQ, see http://www.nfq-qqi.com/index.html), if applicable

Type:

Taught

Research

Institution:

Country:

Graduation date:

dd/mm/yyyy

Qualification Type & Name:

Final grade or Grade Point Average:

Any additional information relating to this degree can be included here, e.g. dissertation title, area of study:

[maximum 300 words]

2.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

5.1

5.2

Doctoral Degree (or degree equivalent to the Doctoral Degree level 10 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications NFQ, see http://www.nfq-qqi.com/index.html), if applicable)

Qualification type and name:

Institution:

Country:

Name of your Supervisor:

Title of your doctoral thesis:

Abstract

[maximum 300 words]

Start date:

dd/mm/yyyy

Has your doctorate been awarded?

Yes

No

If you answered ‘yes’ above, please specify your PhD graduation date (Note: In order to be eligible this date must be after the 31st March 2012 and no later 31st March 2017).

Date:

If you answered ‘no’ above, and you have not yet already graduated, YOU MUST

· have formally submitted your thesis for examination

and

· have examiners appointed to your viva /thesis defence examination

and

· have a viva/thesis defence scheduled for a date that is NO LATER THAN 31st March 2017.

Select yes if you comply with ALL of the above eligibility requirements (Note: it is important to provide accurate information at this point. Should your application be recommended for funding you will be asked to provide evidence that your viva/thesis defence took place no later than 31st March 2017. Should it subsequently emerge that the information provided was inaccurate at the submission deadline, the application will be withdrawn from the process).

Yes

No

Any additional information relating to this degree can be included here, e.g. dissertation title, area of study:

[maximum 300 words]

Other Education

Please provide any additional information relevant to your academic background which should include the name, location and dates for each relevant course listed. For major awards provide also equivalency of the degree to the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

[maximum 300 words]

Research Achievements

Please describe your research achievements since beginning a career as a researcher (including PhD and post-PhD, if applicable). Please bear in mind this could be read by non-specialists, as well as peers, and should be written in order to communicate with them effectively:

[maximum 300 words]

Research Award 1:

Title:

Amount:

Source:

Award type: (i.e. prize, research grant, travel grant etc.)

Duration:

Research Award 2:

Title:

Amount:

Source:

Award type: (i.e. prize, research grant, travel grant etc.)

Duration:

Research Award 3:

Title:

Amount:

Source:

Award type: (i.e. prize, research grant, travel grant etc.)

Duration:

Proposed Research

This should be written by the applicant after consulting with the proposed Mentor(s) and Host Organisation(s)

Project Title:

Higher Education Institution:

Department:

Please refer to the research categorisation document available on the Irish Research Council website for the list of primary areas, disciplines and other research areas

Primary Area:

Discipline:

Other Research Area(s):

Second categorisation – if interdisciplinary:

(If your proposed research is interdisciplinary please list second categorisation here (e.g. primary area, then discipline, then other research area if applicable).

Keywords describing proposed research:

Please provide an abstract for your proposed research.

[maximum 300 words]

Please provide a lay abstract for your proposed research, which will be used to inform a non-expert audience:

[maximum 300 words]

Please provide details of your proposed research, to include , aims, objectives and central research questions:

[maximum 500 words]

Please describe the research design and methodologies, to be employed in carrying out your fellowship which should be described in sufficient detail to demonstrate your thorough understanding of the research topic:

[maximum 500 words]

Please provide a schedule to include (a) milestones and deliverables for completion of the proposed fellowship, (b) risks that might endanger reaching these deliverables and (c) the contingency plans to be put in place in order to mitigate these risks:

[maximum 500 words]

There is an option on the system at this point to upload any supplementary information (e.g. relevant diagrams) which will accompany your research proposal. Please upload a GANTT chart to illustrate the project timelines, milestones and deliverables. The system will only accept PDF files for upload.

Explain how the proposal relates to the state of the art. Suggest how the project will make a new contribution to knowledge. Do not provide bibliographical lists or footnotes here:

[maximum 500 words]

Please describe any specialist knowledge, data, access to specialist equipment/facilities and similar that are required for successful completion of the proposed fellowship, including but not limited to language competencies, technical skills or use of specialist software. If the relevant knowledge, data or access to specialist equipment/facilities is not already in place, details should be provided as to how it will be acquired:

[maximum 500 words]

Please outline your plans for the dissemination and knowledge exchange of your research, including publications, conference attendance, poster presentations, reports and outreach activities. Details should also be provided as to how the impact of your research will be measured:

[maximum 500 words]

References and Select Bibliography

Please upload a pdf file with references to publications and other research outputs mentioned in the proposal.

Please outline how the proposed research is a significant development, differing from your doctoral thesis, if appropriate:

[maximum 500 words]

Please provide details of any proposed research trips of more than 4 weeks duration which you believe will be necessary for the successful completion of your fellowship:

[maximum 300 words]

Please outline the reasons for choosing your proposed Higher Education Institution. Describe the relevant research infrastructure, logistics, facilities and relevant resources that will be available to you in the proposed instution. .

[maximum 400 words]

Please outline the reasons for choosing your proposed academic mentor. Include information about the proposed academic mentor’s relevant key research achievements, involvement in research and training programmes, mentoring etc.

[maximum 400 words]

Have you previously submitted all or part of this proposal to an Irish Research Scheme and been unsuccessful?

Yes

No

If yes: Please clearly describe the modifications to your research proposal since it was previously submitted:

Please note that unsuccessful applicants may only re-apply to the scheme on one subsequent occasion (with effect from 21 October 2009)

Career Training and Development Plan

The Irish Research Council places great importance on the education and skills development of early stage researchers. Successful researchers demonstrate strategic thinking not only in research project design, but also in career planning and professional development. On that basis, every applicant is required to upload a Career Training and Development Plan as part of their application.

The Career Training and Development Plan document should be uploaded to the online system as a PDF file [maximum 2 pages] and should outline the following:

· In this plan, you should outline both your immediate (1-2 years) and long-term goals (5 years plus) career objectives.

· Provide a description of plans for the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. For example, gaining research skills and techniques, communication skills, research management, networking, and other transferable skills etc. during the period of this Fellowship. Where appropriate include a reference to the Description of Specialist Knowledge section above.

· Please outline your reasons for choosing this Fellowship and how you feel this Fellowship programme will contribute to these goals.

· Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to gain skills relevant to employment outside the traditional academic sector.

· Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to acquire competencies that improve the prospects of reaching and/or reinforcing a position of professional maturity, diversity and independence.

The Vitae website and Researcher Development Framework is an excellent career development resource that you may find useful when preparing your Career Training and Development Plan.

Relevant Work Experience

Please provide details of your relevant work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent post. Include details of e.g., any postdoctoral research, research assistant posts, relevant teaching posts and / or enterprise employment.

DO NOT INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL DETAILS IN THIS SECTION, i.e. undergraduate or postdoctoral (MSc or PhD) research. These should be detailed only in the section Academic Qualifications. If you do not have Relevant Work Experience you can leave this section empty.

Current Position

Place of employment:

Date employed from:

Date employed to:

Department/ Organisational Unit:

Research Mentor (if applicable):

Brief description of work experience, duties and responsibilities:

[maximum 300 words]

Research Project Title and Abstract (if applicable):

[maximum 300 words]

Previous Position

Place of employment:

Date employed from:

Date employed to:

Department/ Organisational Unit:

Research Mentor (if applicable):

Brief description of work experience, duties and responsibilities:

[maximum 300 words]

Research Project Title and Abstract (if applicable):

[maximum 300 words]

Other relevant work experience

Please include details of any other relevant work experience (including voluntary work, organising conferences etc.) to date. This should include employer names, job titles, nature of duties and responsibilities, as well as duration of employment.

[maximum 300 words]

Please explain why such work is relevant to your research proposal:

[maximum 300 words]

Breaks in Research Career Path:

As per the Terms & Conditions, Applicants must have been awarded their doctoral degree or have been certified as having fulfilled all the requirements for the award of a doctoral degree within the 5-year period before the 31st March 2017.

Extension to this 5-year period can be considered on provision of documented evidence of an eligible career break. Career breaks of up to 5 years are taken into account. Eligible career breaks include: maternity leave, paternity leave, adoptive leave, parental leave, prolonged sick leave, carer’s leave.

Do you require an extension to this 5-year period on grounds of a career break?

Yes

No

If yes, please indicate which of the following types of career break applies to you:

Maternity Leave

Paternity Leave

Adoptive Leave

Parental Leave

Prolonged Sick Leave

Carer’s Leave

Have you at anytime taken a prolonged break (> 3 Months) from your research career (e.g. any periods spent working in an enterprise setting where you were unable to publish)?

[maximum 300 words]

Publications & Other Research Outputs

Please provide details of your top 5 peer-reviewed publications (including peer-reviewed journals, articles, books/book chapters etc.). Specify your contribution to the publication. Include the impact factor and number of citations, where relevant. Please explain why each publication is significant. Publications in press can be included in this section but submitted or in preparation publications strictly cannot. If you have no peer-reviewed publications, please leave this section blank and continue down to the Other Publications and Research Outputs section of this page.

Please provide details of up to 15 other publications or research outputs (e.g. publications to date, research awards achieved, creation of data sets & databases, conference papers, patents, excavations, public broadcasts, stage performances, creative writing (such as novels, poetry), creative productions, exhibitions, etc.). Publications in press can be included in this section, but submitted and in-preparation publications strictly cannot.

These will not be considered as part of your research track record. If you have no publications or other research outputs please leave this section blank.

Samples of written work: If you have no Significant Peer-reviewed Publications or Other Publications and Research Outputs, please upload samples of your written work as follows:

· Doctoral thesis: Table of contents

· One chapter from your Doctoral Thesis

· One further sample of written research work, as you see fit

Personal Statement

Please outline your reasons for choosing this fellowship and your suitability for the fellowship.Explain why the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship is the appropriate next step at the current stage of your career.

Please highlight any additional information which has not been included elsewhere in the application, for example:

· Why have you proposed this research topic?

· Why are you particularly suited to this topic?

· Which of your attributes, experience and achievements to date demonstrate your capability to successfully implement the fellowship?

[Max 500 words]

Ethical Statement

All Irish Research Council funded projects must be carried out in compliance with fundamental ethical principles. Research in any discipline can raise ethical issues. When conducting research it is essential to carry out a detailed ethical evaluation, and considering the research ethics at the early conceptual stage of any proposal greatly enhances the research project. If necessary, seek advice from the appropriate office in your organisation to ensure that you complete this section correctly.

Does your research involve any of the following ethical issues of special relevance?

Informed consent

Human embryonic stem cells

Privacy and data protection

Use of human biological samples and data

Research on animals

Research in developing countries

Dual use (possible military/terrorist application)

None of the above

Does the research proposal outlined in this submission require approval by the relevant University/Institutional Ethics committee?

Yes

No

Please note that a full ethical report and approval from the relevant institutional Ethics Committee should be received by the Council before activities for which ethical approval are required commence or no later than three months after the start date of the fellowship

Have you received confirmation from the Head of Department that the above statement is true?

Yes

No

Please provide a statement detailing the careful consideration you have given to the ethics issues identified as relevant to your proposed fellowship and how you plan address these.

[maximum 500 words]

Sex/Gender Dimension

Please read carefully the section on ‘Biological Sex/gender dimension’ in the Guide for Applicants for help in answering this question.

Sex/gender dimension statement

Does your research involve any of the following?

Humans as the research focus

Animals as the research focus  

Human samples and/or data

Humans involved as consumers, users, patients, or in trials  

Research on animals, animal samples and/or data  

Research outputs with implications for end users or consumers 

Please provide a statement detailing whether there is a potential sex/gender dimension to be considered in carrying out your research. If your research involves any of the above, please indicate how potential sex/gender issues will be handled. In particular, you are asked to reference the points mentioned in the 'checklist for sex/gender in research content' in the Guide for Applicants:

Max 500 words

Financial Justification

Financial Justification

· Please provide the total cost for the full duration of the Fellowship.

· The exact amount of eligible direct research expenses to be allocated is subject to sufficient justification being made. An itemised breakdown of costs is required, e.g. separately list the cost and justification for individual pieces of computer equipment and software. Small consumables can be grouped as one item, e.g. general lab or stationery supplies.

· Software and hardware must be obtained in the first year of the award or the first three months of a one year award. Apart from this exception, funds may not be used to purchase capital items.

· A maximum of €1,000 applies for the purchase of a laptop or desktop computer. The Council recognises that in exceptional circumstances, Applicants may request the purchase of a laptop or desktop that exceeds this limit. In those instances, Applicants must provide a detailed justification that will be subject to review on a case by case basis. There is no guarantee that the Council will approve requests that exceed the limit.

· Membership fees are not an eligible cost.

· Subsistence/per diem rates are not an eligible cost. Living expenses (e.g. rent, food and phone) are ineligible.

· The total amount of research expenses can be up to a maximum of €5,000 per annum.

Essential direct research expenses:

Total cost requested for Funding Term:

Justification. Please provide itemised breakdown of costs and reason needed:

Essential research supplies such as small consumables:

Pay as you go access to national research infrastructure:

Software and hardware critical for the proposed research:

Archival research costs:

Conference travel and participation:

Generic and/or specialist disciplinary skills training:

Publishing and write-up costs:

Other costs:

Total:

Applicant Declaration

I hereby declare that I have read and accept the applicant requirements as set out in the 2017 Terms and Conditions and Guide for Applicants on the Irish Research Council website:

I agree

I confirm that the information supplied in this application is correct and recognise that should it become apparent that any of the information provided is inaccurate or unverifiable with appropriate documentation, it will result in the application automatically being deemed ineligible:

I agree

I hereby declare that this application is my own work and understand that it will be subject to plagiarism checks:

I agree

Would you like the Irish Research Council to make your application available to other funding agencies and/or enterprise partners for funding consideration?

Yes No

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